creating space for beauty & simplicity

Archives for October 2013

i love the change of seasons.
as the light fades and the cooler weather sets in, we are forced inside a bit more.
routines shift, our meals become warmer and hardier and our home becomes the heart of everything we do.

i like my seasonal “decor” (if i can even really call it that) to reflect the changes happening out in the natural world.
acorns, feathers, pine cones, seed heads and dried grasses adorn shelves and corners.
beautiful edible orange and blue squashes sit on my counter and act as a reminder that fall is here.
i bring out the nutcracker, buy some nuts and we feast on them well past christmas.
windowsills and counter tops begin to fill up with plants that i try to salvage from the frost.
baskets of knitting and blankets become part of the scene and we begin to hunker down for the winter.

i do of course have to satisfy the needs of my girls (who i think secretly wish i was a little more mainstream in the decorating department) by observing that halloween is coming with a few postcards and handmade black cats.

:: hop on over to tend today where i’ve written a post on seasonal interest in the garden.
:: i found this piece inspiring and empowering. i have always loved erin’s positive outlook on life.
:: i am super excited about this book. make sure to scroll down to watch the book trailer.
:: this documentary was wonderful. i can only hope that in my seventies and eighties i will still hold true to who i am and enjoy life to it’s fullest like these women.
::you can now find second and edgemont on facebook head on over and like us!
:: ok we are off and headed out for pizza and then the roller rink tonight. not sure who’s more excited. i love to rollerskate!

there’s still some painting to be done but i thought i would share a few more bits and pieces of the addition.

i knew i always wanted to incorporate an open staircase into the project and i love how it has transformed our second floor. our carpenter did a beautiful job at crafting the post and railing and blending in the fact that that post needed to run all the way from the third floor down to the basement(the reason why our dining room wall is all patched up with spackle at the moment). it is essentially holding up the new third floor. the other post is hidden under drywall. i was a bit grumpy when the engineer first showed up to inform us that we needed to run two posts right through the middle of the project. but we got creative and i am very pleased with the end result.

mid way through the project we came up with the idea of a light tube in the ceiling of the staircase and i have not regretted the decision one bit! i adore the natural light that streams through all day long down the stairs and into our second floor space. with the ship lap it feels like we live on a boat with a little port hole.

my mom and i are always trying to find more and more ways to utilize every inch of our home,hence all of the built-ins in my house. she came up with the brilliant idea of some shelving along the staircase which bumps into the attic storage space. for now it holds games, something we have a lot of and i can’t seem to find enough space for. and the little bump out shelf at the bottom of the staircase above holds some of my basket collection. i may over-winter some plants up there with all of that sunlight streaming through.

oh thrifting.
i used to struggle with the guilt about how much i love it. but recently i have embraced the fact that for me it is an art. a creative process. it’s a big part of who i am and how i express myself and my style in both my wardrobe and in my home. but most importantly it brings me a lot of joy!

i like having things that no one else has. i like finding other creative uses for things. i like recycling and giving things another life. i like the hunt. i like old, well made things. i like the history and the story these things hold. i like mixing these finds in with our handmade crafts and what we find out in the natural world and tying it all together to tell our own story.

creating a home filled with things that i love is something i grew up with. my mother instilled in us an appreciation for beautiful useful things even down to your dustpan and broom.

above are a few things found on a thrifting adventure yesterday.

:: a cream colored cable sweater with toggle closure. a new color for me!
:: wool fringed checked scarf. a small square sized one perfect for one knot around the neck.
:: rust cabled gloves. to match the new fallen leaves.
:: wooden spindle chair to pair with hannah’s desk. plan to make a little cushion for it.
:: an old wooden scoop used as a shelf in my kitchen for now but also to be used to hold napkins and utensils when hosting dinner and parties.

oh i could not wait to share this with you.
it’s all pretty amazing really to have watched this room in all of it’s stages and now in all of it’s glory!
it is officially complete and hannah is over the moon.

she chose benjamin moore maiden hair fern for the color. and as much as this mama of hers would have loved to see revere pewter on the walls, i love how it blends in with the leaves right outside of her huge windows.

to get an idea of how much we needed to dormer out you can see the original roof line just above the staircase. behind the mirrored door is the old attic space which comes in handy for storage.

the woodwork and trim was made to match the rest of this arts and crafts style house and we added some ship lap on the walls for a little more modern feel.

my grandfather crafted the built in bookcase (who’s top i am picking up from his shop tomorrow) to house books and collections.

she has a nice sized closet which fits all of her shoes and clothes and allows for more space in her room for dancing, playing and hanging out.

her antique bed was a gift from my mom and the drawing above it lived in my room as a child. artwork by hannah and my sister also lives on the walls. her desk was salvaged and given some new hand crafted drawer pulls.

on her first night up there i laid with both her and norah (who has been invited up to sleep and snuggle whenever she likes) and looked out at the leaves rustling on the big maple tree. we listened to the rain tapping on the roof and i marveled at this little house of ours and how it keeps on expanding and growing along with us.